THE BIRTHDAY:

You look into the mirror with a tear in your eye,

You´re older, another year has gone by,

You feel decrepit & wished you knew why,

Lady, you are beautiful, please don´t cry.

You see a wrinkle, or maybe a few,

You are heavier & feel fatter, it´s true,

You miss the luster in your eye, it´s gone,

Lady You´re wonderful, sing another song.

You feel life has passed you by,

You feel dejected & start to cry,

You wonder what could have been,

Lady, you´re here, it´s not a dream.

Look again at the wrinkle, it´s only a smile,

Look at the bulge, it´s a curve, not a pile,

Look into your eye, that´s not fatigue, but life´s trial,

Look how you´ve advanced, not an inch, but many a mile.

You´ve known the love of a real man,

Swept life´s dust & dug the land,

As the vine, you´ve borne child from seed,

Done it all, walked, ran & done the deed.

You’re Aphrodite, mother earth & you´re free,

You´re Venus rising from the foaming sea,

Lady You´re beautiful, look, touch & see,

Shout from your soul, “Welcome to me”.

GO AWAY:

Look deep into the eye of poverty´s little boy,

Hear the world´s starving children cry,

Know that the pet you’ve bought isn’t a toy,

Listen to the forests, rivers & oceans sigh,

As we rape & plunder their very souls,

We should hide our shame & kneel to pray,

Where we should be patching, we´re leaving holes,

And the earth will tell us soon we´re not welcome to stay,

“Go away, go away, leave me in peace & just go away.”

DETACHMENT:

Working my way free of the womb, detachment,

Fleeing my parents nest, detachment,

Ridding myself of abusive men, detachment,

Loosening grip of sons of my own, detachment,

Mourning deaths of loved ones, detachment,

Loving my man from a distance, detachment.

Is this a natural detachment, or maybe it´s just fear?

On earth we are to teach & learn how to be near,

We win, we lose, in the end we fade & die,

Dying, detachment when we say goodbye,

The more detachment less hurt, less strife,

Dropping the patchwork mantle of life.

BOWED DOWN TREE:

Bowed down by gales bemoaning,

Twisted, gnarled, older than me,

Leaves pelted cruel by hail & rain,

Bent double, floor sweeping, groaning,

Nobody but me sees “just an old tree”,

But I hear in your ancient sighs, your pain.

As a sapling eons ago, straight, supple & green,

They dug deep & put your roots down, deep down,

Sentencing you to a life not right for you,

In a place where gales & storms were always seen,

Not thinking that you may wither & brown,

I sympathise, my roots were planted by others too.

THE WEEPER:

Why do you weep my little one?

I weep when;

I see swans glide across a pond,

I see a bluebell wood & daffodils,

I see snowdrops upon winter frond,

I see lazy cats asleep on sunny sills,

I see poppies in golden field of corn,

I see first crocus & blood red rose,

I see peeping sun in golden dawn,

I see babe in gentle soft repose.

Why do you weep my little one?

I weep when;

I hear a bird passing upon the wing,

I hear raindrops fall upon thirsty earth,

I hear children & Angels sing,

I hear laughter at happy mirth,

I hear the uttered kind words,

I hear the pup gleefully bark,

I hear the cacophony of birds,

I hear the voice of early lark.

Why do you weep my little one?

I weep when;

I see beast cry in bloody pain,

I hear the wail of hungry child,

I see cruelty & hear the inane,

I hear wailing of the animal wild,

I see the past & what we have done,

I hear the future call on the breeze,

I see in sorrow my tears have won,

I pray to God, “help us please”.